elephantō bēluārum nūlla prūdentior, DN. 1, 97, of the larger beasts not one is more sagacious than the elephant, or the elephant is the most sagacious of beasts. sequāmur Polybium, quō nēmō fuit dīligentior, RP. 2, 27, let us follow Polybius, the most scrupulous of men. For nēmō or quis, the more emphatic nihil or quid is often used: as, Phaedrō nihil ēlegantius, nihil hūmānius, DN. 1, 93, Phaedrus was the most refined and sympathetic of men.
[1463.] In colloquial language, a comparative suffix is sometimes emphasized by the addition of magis: as, mollior magis, Pl. Aul. 422, more tenderer. And sometimes by a mixture of construction, the comparative is modified by aequē, like the positive: as, homo mē miserior nūllus est aequē, Pl. Mer. 335, there’s not a man so woebegone as I, for miserior alone, or aequē miser.
[1464.] The comparative with the ablative is particularly common, when a thing is illustrated by some striking typical object, usually an object of nature. In such illustrations, the positive with as is commonly used in English: as, lūce clārius, V. 2, 186, plain as day. ō fōns Bandusiae, splendidior vitrō, H. 3, 13, 1, ye waters of Bandusia, as glittering as glass. melle dulcior ōrātiō, E. in CM. 31, words sweet as honey. ventīs ōcior, V. 5, 319, quick as the winds. vacca candidior nivibus, O. Am. 3, 5, 10, a cow as white as driven snow. caelum pice nigrius, O. H. 17, 7, a sky as black as pitch. dūrior ferrō et saxō, O. 14, 712, as hard as steel and stone.
[The Superlative.]
[1465.] When more than two things are compared, the superlative is used to represent a quality as belonging in the highest degree to an individual or to a number of a class: as,
proximī sunt Germānīs, 1, 1, 3, they live the nearest to the Germans. hōrum omnium fortissimī, 1, 1, 3, the bravest of these all.
[1466.] The superlative may be strengthened by the addition of such words as ūnus, preeminently, usually with a genitive, maximē, quam, with or without a form of possum, as possible, &c., &c. ([1892]). In old Latin by multō; from Cicero on, by longē, far, and vel, perhaps, even: as,
cōnfirmāverim rem ūnam esse omnium difficillimam, Br. 25, I am not afraid to avouch it is the one hardest thing in the world. longē nōbilissimus, 1, 2, 1, the man of highest birth by far. quam maximīs potest itineribus in Galliam contendit, 1, 7, 1, he pushes into Gaul by the quickest marches he can. quam mātūrrimē, 1, 33, 4, as early as possible.
[1467.] The superlative is also used to denote a very high degree of the quality.
This superlative, called the Absolute Superlative, or the Superlative of Eminence, may be translated by the positive with some such word as most, very: as, homo turpissimus, V. 4, 16, an utterly unprincipled man. Often best by the positive alone: as, vir fortissimus, Pīsō Aquītānus, 4, 12, 4, the heroic Piso of Aquitain ([1044]).